Give Youth A Voice

Want to raise money for your team? We can help!

The League has partnered with Causecast, a company that helps organizations harness their power to do good. For the last three years, that's exactly what the partnership has done. More than 70 schools have raised nearly $150,000 at an average of more than $800 per school. Maybe your team has used the platform already, or maybe you're brand new. Either way, it is to raise money using GiveYouthAVoice.org.

If you're a member coach, you should receive an email from info@causecast.org (you may need to check your spam folder) that gives you instructions on logging in to the new platform. You'll go through a few quick setup steps as well as indicating what you'll be raising money for and how much you'd like to raise. You'll be able to upload a video or picture, as well. The whole process should take you less than five minutes. You can always go back an edit your campaign if you need to make a change.

Once your campaign is set up, send the link through Facebook, Twitter, email—any way you can to your alums, family members, friends, community, etc. Your donors can give quickly, securely, and easily through the site by clicking the Donate Now button. Credit card transactions are charged a processing fee of 2.9%, plus 20 cents, which the donor can elect to pay for, or it will be deducted from their donation. This is not a fee paid to the League or to Causecast. It's an amount collected by Visa, MasterCard, Discover, or American Express to process any credit card transaction anywhere.

The National Forensic League does not receive any part of any contribution made by a donor to your team. Causecast and the League have created this agreement to make it possible for you to raise the most amount of money without paying for any overhead that other sites require. Some, like DonorsChoose.org, charge more than 17%, so we're really thankful to Causecast for making this possible! If, however, your donors prefer to pay you directly by check or cash, you can indicate that in your campaign description and explain how they can contribute directly to you. The League will not process contributions for your team that are made by cash or check.

For those of you who have used the site before, you'll notice that the process is even simpler, the transaction fees are lower, and the page you'll be directing donors to is a lot cleaner. We also listened to you and asked Causecast to add features like recurring donations, and to allow donors to cover their own transaction fees.

If you have any questions or experience trouble with the site, please contact our office (not Causecast) for assistance. We can help you get logged in, start or end your campaign, and more. Please contact our membership coordinator, Matt Delzer, at matt.delzer@nationalforensicleague.org.

Here's a quick run-down on the five-minute process:

1. If you haven't received your email from info@causecast.com and want to participate in this program, you must be an active League member. Email matt.delzer@nationalforensicleague.org with your email address and we'll provide you with access to the fundraising portal.

2. You'll be sent to a website and asked for a password. On the next screen, enter your ZIP code and click "Continue."

3. Click the "Start Now" button and then the blue "Learn about this campaign" button and finally the "Create your fundraiser" button. You're now at your fundraising page.
    
4. Change the headline to something snappy and something that identifies your school. Choose the League as your nonprofit—it's your only choice. Set a fundraising goal. Maybe it's $500 for a trip to nationals, or $10,000 to fund your whole year. Choose something realistic and appropriate for your team. Create a message describing your needs and why you need the amount of funding you've requested—details are great! Add a picture, and maybe a video. Don't worry, you can always come back and edit this if you want to add something later. Click "Save Changes" at the bottom of the page.

You're done. Share your page with the sharing options on your page. Watch the money roll in!

When you're ready to end your campaign, contact Matt Delzer and we'll process your payment for the total you've raised. You can apply it as a credit to your account, or have a check sent to your school. All campaigns end June 1, 2013, so that we can get checks ready in time for nationals.

Good Luck!